Posts from 2020 (Page 3)

ADVENT SEASON (ANTICIPATING THE BIRTH OF JESUS) 28 NAMES OF JESUS DECEMBER 8, 2020 NAME #8: Branch These are prophecies of Jesus found in the Old Testament, that are referring to Him as the BRANCH, the future King of Israel: Isaiah 4:2 “In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth [shall be] excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel.” Isaiah 11:1 “A shoot shall come out…

ADVENT SEASON (THE ANTICIPATION OF CHRIST’S BIRTH IN THE SEASON LEADING UP TO CHRISTMAS) 28 NAMES OF JESUS DECEMBER 7, 2020 #7: “The Word” John 1:14; John 1:9-18 “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). The anticipation is building for one of the most celebrated days on the calendar. I’ve heard people comment that this needs…

ADVENT SEASON (THE ANTICIPATION OF CHRIST’S BIRTH IN THE SEASON LEADING UP TO CHRISTMAS) 28 NAMES OF JESUS DECEMBER 5, 2020 Name #6: “The Good Shepherd” I continually find my children to be fascinating case studies. For example, one day my wife and I found that our children had been “counting” the money in their piggy banks, and in doing so, they had destroyed some of the money. To me, that’s a big deal. Money that could have been put…

ADVENT SEASON (THE ANTICIPATION OF CHRIST’S BIRTH IN THE SEASON LEADING UP TO CHRISTMAS) 28 NAMES OF JESUS DECEMBER 4, 2020 Bloom Where You’re Planted “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star“ (Revelation 22:16). Name #5: “Root of David” Roots was a popular miniseries based on the bestselling book by Alex Haley, who traced his ancestry back to…

ADVENT SEASON (THE ANTICIPATION OF CHRIST’S BIRTH IN THE SEASON LEADING UP TO CHRISTMAS) 28 NAMES OF JESUS DECEMBER 3, 2020 Name #4: “Lamb of God” Scripture reading: John 1:29 – 36 What are some images that come to mind when we think of a lamb? In the biblical context, especially the Old Testament, we think of it as a sacrificial animal. Other ways we symbolize it are gentleness, innocence, purity, and meekness. Now, I have never been around sheep…

ADVENT SEASON (THE ANTICIPATION OF CHRIST’S BIRTH IN THE SEASON LEADING UP TO CHRISTMAS) 28 NAMES OF JESUS DECEMBER 2, 2020 “‘I am the Alpha and the Omega,’ says the Lord God, ‘who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.’” (Revelation 1:8) “Thus says the LORD, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the LORD of hosts: ‘I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. Who is like me?…

ADVENT SEASON (THE ANTICIPATION OF CHRIST’S BIRTH IN THE SEASON LEADING UP TO CHRISTMAS) 28 NAMES OF JESUS DECEMBER 1, 2020 Name #2: “I Am” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am” (John 8:58). John 8 includes the only “I am” statement in the entire gospel. This impromptu courtroom experience found in the chapter finds the “I am of the world” in a spirited debate with the “I am” of the Son.…

ADVENT SEASON (THE ANTICIPATION OF CHRIST’S BIRTH IN THE SEASON LEADING UP TO CHRISTMAS) 28 NAMES OF JESUS NOVEMBER 30, 2020 Name #1: “Glory of the Lord” “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her that her hard service has been completed, that her sin has been paid for, that she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins. A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way…

Ten Things to Be Thankful For, Day 10: God’s Provision Think back to when you were a kid. What was that food that you absolutely despised eating? That food that, if given the choice to eat or go hungry, made going hungry seem like the better option. For me it was red beets. I don’t know how they kept ending up on our dinner table when I was growing up but they did, and every time they did, I was…

 Ten Things to Be Thankful For, Day 9: Blessings ”And [Jesus] opened his mouth and taught them, saying: ‘Blessed . . . “ (Matthew 5:2 – 3). Quick! What do you say when someone sneezes? If it’s someone you know well, you might say, “Gross! Why didn’t you use a tissue?” But normally, we say, “God bless you!” To which my wife says, “He always does!” Jesus began each saying on the Sermon on the Mount with the word, “Blessed (Greek,…